An example retention bonus agreement to retain an employee during a merger or acquisition. This guide delves into nine realworld bonus structure examples that have been proven to win over employees and employers alike.Retention bonuses reward employees for staying with the company, and referral bonuses encourage current employees to recommend potential hires. For assistance with completing this bonus form, click the Job Aid link. MAGE also requests the same retention bonus program agreed to for exclusively represented employees. A special bonus is not to be added to base salary, it does not include university retirement savings contributions and it is non-grievable. Wherry and Spivey are parties to Retention Bonus Agreements with Goldfield. Yearend bonuses are taxable to employees, just like any other form of compensation. Assessing Employee Value: The bonus amount should reflect the employee's value to the company. A bonus plan is an agreement between the employer and employee to pay out a predetermined amount of money based on performance.